Julien Paluku Kahongya is an influential Congolese politician, currently Minister of Foreign Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a position he has held since May 2024. Originally from the province of North Kivu, he has risen through the ranks of the administration and the national political sphere thanks to a rich academic and professional background. Academically, Julien Paluku holds a Postgraduate Diploma (DEA) in Political and Administrative Sciences from the University of Kinshasa. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Health and Community Development from the Free University of the Great Lakes Countries, a career that reflects his commitment to human and institutional development.

His professional experience spans more than two decades. Prior to his current position, he served as Minister of Industry from 2019 to 2024, during which time he promoted the country's industrial revival through ambitious policies such as the creation of Special Economic Zones. From 2007 to 2018, he led the province of North Kivu as governor, in a particularly complex context marked by security and economic issues. He also served in the National Assembly in 2011, 2018 and 2023, and in the Provincial Assembly since 2006. His career began in territorial administration: he was administrator of the Lubero territory, then successively mayor of the cities of Butembo and Beni between 2003 and 2006. Actively engaged in the political scene, Julien Paluku is the moral authority of the United Bloc for the Renaissance and Emergence of Congo (BUREC) party and leads the political grouping Alliance Bloc 50 (A/B50). He is also an influential player in the Union Sacrée, a presidential coalition within which he mobilizes a political base composed of several national and provincial deputies and municipal councilors. A man of the field and vision, Julien Paluku embodies a new generation of leaders concerned with anchoring the development of the DRC in stability, industrial transformation and regional and international economic openness.